1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to a retractable truck bed cover made up of an array of parallel aluminum slats joined together along each slat's leading and trailing edges for water integrity, security and flexibility.
2. Description of the Prior Art
The design and use of retractable truck bed covers with open bed pickup trucks to provide security and protection for cargo items carried within the truck bed is well known. Conventional retractable truck bed covers commonly include a plurality of individual slats hingedly connected to form a slat array. The hinged connection of individual slats enables the slat array to form a continuous cover that, once mounted in a pair of side rails, can be moved from a first flat position covering the truck bed to a second stored position where the cover is retracted (rolled up) on a reel or spindle in a housing.
One type of slat array design for conventional retractable truck bed covers is defined by rigid individual slats, generally extruded or formed aluminum, which are arranged together along their edges such that their edges are overlapped and covered with a pliable, continuous surface material laminate. In this laminated slat array design, the individual slats overlap, engaging one another in an interlocking joint, while the laminate surface material functions to secure the overlapping slats together, to form an articulating cover body.
Another type of slat array design for conventional retractable truck bed covers is defined by rigid slats joined together along their edges with connective hinge bodies such that they are immediately contiguous to one another with adjacent slats fastened together without overlapping. For this connective hinge slat array design, flexible joiner members are commonly utilized as connective hinge bodies to attach adjacent individual slats by engaging and extending (or bridging) between receptor channels disposed in the opposing edges of the adjacent slats. In this regard, the joiner members are operative to both attach the slats together and enable the desired hinging movement between adjacent slats because of their flexibility. The joiner members also function as the water seal or gasket between the contiguous slats and therefore, to function effectively, must be continuous from end to end (along the entire length) of the contiguous slats.
While this connective hinge type of slat array design provides some manufacturing efficiencies, it is also subject to some well-known weaknesses and vulnerabilities. One such weakness comes from the ease in which the individual slats can be separated. Because the individual slats are arranged so that they do not overlap when joined together and are not covered by a laminate surface material, the seam between individual slats remains exposed. If a box cutter, razor knife, or other blade is simply inserted into and run along the exposed seam between contiguous slats, the joiner member can be cut, thereby detaching the contiguous slats and breaching the security of the cover. Another vulnerability relates to the tendency for the joiner member, which are typically extruded silicon, to contract over time due to aging and/or exposure to temperature fluctuations. This shrinkage often results in the joiner members no longer extending from end to end of contiguous slats, leaving the end portions of such contiguous slats that make up the slatted array with exposed spaces between the slats and compromising the water tightness of the cover body.
Accordingly, there remains a need for a modified retractable truck bed cover design which would eliminate exposed seam security vulnerability of conventional connective hinge style slats when placed in a slat array. It would be helpful if such a modified truck bed cover slat was able to protect the joiner member connecting adjacent slats in an array without requiring a restrictive overlap or interlock between adjacent slats. It would be additionally desirable for such a modified truck bed cover slat to overcome the problem of joiner member shrinkage and the associated issue of water penetration.
The Applicant's invention described herein provides for an improved retractable truck bed cover slat with connective hinge style slats arranged in a slat array that employs a means to address the shortcomings of prior art designs by protecting the attaching joiner member between contiguous slats while also preventing the joiner member from shrinking and contracting. The primary components of Applicant's modified truck bed cover slat are an aluminum base slat, a silicon joiner member, and a molded slat end cap. When in operation, the modified truck bed cover slat allows the assembly of a slat array which improves the security provided by conventional connective hinge slatted truck bed covers and addresses other limitations or shortcomings imposed by the conventional slat structures in the prior art.